Chinese internet platforms are hurrying to join the carnival as interest in the World Cup soccer competition grows throughout the world and fight for the large number of sports enthusiasts in the nation by providing a “metaverse-like” watching experience made possible by 5G and virtual reality (VR).
According to observers, the initiatives will assist the internet giants secure an increase in traffic during the sporting event, but what matters more is that broad use of the new technology will enable businesses to refine their product offers.
Chinese streaming provider Migu, a unit of China Mobile, and Douyin, the equivalent of TikTok in China, are two significant players. The two streaming services will share digital coverage of the events with state-owned broadcaster China Media Group and have sublicensed rights to carry live and on-demand coverage of the Qatar World Cup (CMG).
Migu and Douyin reportedly paid a “sky-high” fee for the broadcasting rights, according to media sources. The World Cup matches could only be aired on six networks on the Chinese mainland, including Migu China Mobile and Douyin.
In order to provide Chinese soccer fans a dreamlike experience, Gan Yuqing, chief content officer of Migu, said in July that the firm will build a virtual interactive area that would be a first in the globe for viewing the tournament.
A “surprise guest” from the year 2070 will attend the “Metaverse World Cup Music Festival,” according to a post on Migu’s official Sina Weibo account.
On its official Weibo account, Douyin promoted the phrase “Watch the World Cup live broadcast on Douyin.” ByteDance-owned VR headset manufacturer Pico said users can watch live World Cup broadcasts using its VR goggles, allowing soccer fans to invite their friends from a distance into their own virtual spaces to watch matches together.
You Xi, co-founder of the Kandong app, told the Global Times on Sunday that the World Cup has a significant impact as a global sporting event and that it has undeniably become essential for corporate marketing. You Xi noted that the event will significantly attract much-needed internet users to the internet platforms.
Additionally, you said that a football game is the ideal setting for using the new technologies and that the occasion would greatly advance the VR and metaverse industries in China.
“Progress has been gradual since US internet giant Facebook changed into Meta and proposed the idea of the metaverse. However, China has been advancing progress at both the national and corporate levels “Independent industry watcher Chen Jia said to the Global Times on Sunday.
A five-year plan for 2022 to 2026 to advance the development of the VR industry was unveiled on November 1 by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China along with four other government organizations. The plan aims to reach a total industrial scale of more than 350 billion yuan ($48.1 billion) in 2026.
The plan’s overarching objective is to make significant advancements in critical technologies, such three-dimensionality, and to strengthen the ecosystem in order to encourage the use of VR to spur economic growth.
“China may also assess the whole quality of the industrial chain in the area of virtual reality technology, and so obtain an early footing in the sector,” Chen remarked. “By applying numerous scenarios in the metaverse of this World Cup.”
The metaverse as a whole is still in its early stages of growth, according to experienced internet expert Guo Tao. There are several issues, such as developing technology and business models that need market validation.
Guo said to the Global Times on Sunday that “the application in sports events is mostly centered in the domains of virtual events, virtual anchors, virtual studios, digital administration, and other industries, but the user experience remains poor and the product stickiness is not enough.”
Compiled by Coinbold